366 THE FOOD OF BIRDS *1N INDIA. 



descend to pupate ; as soon as the caterpillars come down to the soil 

 the birds can get them and until then they seem to pay little atten- 

 tion to them. We have noticed this markedly in outbreaks of cater- 

 pillars on crops such as castor ; the caterpillars are quite safe so long 

 as they are on the large, thin leaves ; but as soon as they descend 

 the Mynahs and Hoopoes are after them in great numbers. Coccinel- 

 lids never need to come down as they pupate on the leaves and the 

 beetles and larvae feed on the insects on leaves as a rule. 



The Buprestids are of less importance to agriculture than to 

 forestry, but the fact that the Black Partridge feeds on the cotton 

 stem-borer (Sphenoptera gossypii) is worth noting. Several birds 

 feed on Opatrum depressum, a species now known to be destructive 

 to gram, potatoes, etc., and the various Tenebrionids, so common on 

 the soil, are the food of many birds. Most are harmless but the birds 

 are probably an important check on them. Cantharids are not eaten 

 except by bustards ; their economic importance is very doubtful. 



Considering their enormous number, the Chrysomelids are very 

 little eaten and it is surprising that so few Cerambycids are found. 

 Weevils are taken by practically every " insectivorous bird " and are 

 of very great economic importance, being destructive in very many 

 cases and never beneficial. Several of our important pests are of 

 this family and the fact that such weevils as Tanymecus, Myllocerus, 

 and Rhynchophorus are eaten is significant. 



In the Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths, we find the greatest 

 food of birds in the countless caterpillars eaten, not one of which 

 can be reckoned as beneficial with the sole exception of the wild 

 tusser caterpillars, while many are extremely destructive pests. 

 Here we would draw special attention to a point nearly always 

 ignored by writers, the fact that birds cannot get the caterpillars 

 on many crops until the caterpillars come down to the soil. Watch 

 caterpillars on castor, for instance ; they are practically untouched 

 till they are full grown because the bird can get no foot-hold on the 

 leaf, and the caterpillar from hatching to maturity rests on the 

 leaf. Erqolis merione for instance rests all day in the very middle 

 of the upper surface of the leaf and is quite safe ; it of course never 



